2008 Summer School on Capability and Multidimensional Poverty, Delhi, India

Course description: The capability approach formulated by Amartya Sen, and further developed by the philosopher Martha Nussbaum and others provides a conceptual framework that underpins many multidimensional approaches to poverty and social protection, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PSRPs), rights-based development, integrated social policy, and other specific initiatives. In the past few years, interest in multidimensional quantitative techniques of analysis has surged. New quantitative methodologies have been developed for measurement, comparisons, and analysis. Many more are still under development in this fast-moving area and this course provides a good grounding. The purpose of this intensive summer school is to provide a thorough conceptual and technical introduction to current literature and techniques of measuring and comparing capabilities, drawing on various techniques of multidimensional measurement and of statistical analysis.

PowerPoint presentations, lecture videos, problem sets, exercises, and reading lists are available by following the class links below.